O'Brien finally gets what he deserves
by ryhoyarbie
Summary: The chief gets a big reward for his services in Starfleet.


_I don't own Star Trek……_

_I got this idea due to the fact O'Brien seems to be the one always doing too much and never receives any credit for his work. That and he needs to be an officer dang it!_

Miles Edward O'Brien, senior chief petty officer and chief of operations for the space station Deep Space Nine was working on a panel in one of the jeffries tubes. His job was the equivalent of being the chief engineer of a starship, which he was on the USS Defiant also.

Right next to him, acting like a nurse of sorts and giving O'Brien tools to help fix one of the panels, was the newly commissioned Ensign Nog, the first Ferengi in Starfleet. Nog had been a cadet for two years but in his sophomore year, he opted for a field duty assignment on the space station. With the outbreak of war by the Dominion and Starfleet losing officers left and right and needing officers to replace those who had died in the line of duty, Starfleet decided to give him a commission as a regular officer. However, Nog had much to learn as an engineer. Luckily for him, he was working with one of the best engineers in Starfleet, though O'Brien wasn't an actual officer.

"Get me a hyper sonic flux," O'Brien said without looking at Nog. He had his eye on the panel he was working on, not to mention his sleeves rolled up, his uniform jacket unzipped nearly to the end of his stomach, and his gold shirt unzipped to the bottom of his neck as he was sweating somewhat in the crapped environment of the jeffries tubes.

"Here you are sir," Nog said as he gave the tool to the chief.

O'Brien looked at the young man, his eyebrows narrowed a bit. "How many times do I have to say don't call me 'sir' Nog?"

Nog did not understand rank and protocol. True Nog was an officer and O'Brien was not, but O'Brien had more experience and had been in Starfleet for twenty five years. If one would take four years off if O'Brien went to the Academy, he would have twenty one years of experience. "I just don't get it," Nog was venting some frustration.

O'Brien continued to toy with the panel. "You don't get what?"

"You!" Nog sharply said.

O'Brien stopped what he was doing and looked at Nog. "What about me?"

"You always tell people to not call you sir, yet you call everyone else sir," Nog replied.

"That's because everyone is my commanding officer, and you would be too if you weren't part of my engineering staff," O'Brien dryly stated.

Nog shook his head. "I don't buy into that. You know more than anybody else, including Captain Sisko. You're just too modest to admit it."

O'Brien was about to say something before Nog began to speak.

"You're the chief engineer of the station and the Defiant. You know science because of your position. You know transporters, helm, ops, and security thanks to your past postings on the Enterprise and the Rutledge and even on the Defiant. You know command since you command the engineering staff and have commanded troops in battle during the Cardassian war. The only thing you don't know is medicine," Nog said. "You 'sir' are more than an average enlisted man. If I were Captain Sisko, Captain Picard, or anyone else, I would have recognized your talents and given you a commission and made you an actual officer, with uh, um a rank of lieutenant commander."

O'Brien continued to listen on Nog's rant.

"All the Starfleet and Bajoran officers and crewmen who work here know that," Nog continued. "You know Federation technology, along with Cardassian, Bajoran, Dominion, Klingon, Romulan, and other alien technology that you have come across in the past. Tell me something chief, does Captain Sisko know all you know? What about Major Kira, Doctor Bashir, Commander Worf, Commander Dax, or even Odo? No they don't, not as much as you know. You can run this station on your own if you wanted to."

_Run this station on my own? _O'Brien thought._ The hell I can't!_

Nog continued. "But hey, if you want to be just a simple enlisted man, fine by me. I'm sure you must have grumbled when you found out I was going to the Academy and one day I would become an actual officer forcing you to address me as sir." Nog looked at the panel O'Brien had stopped working on. "What's the next tool you need 'chief'?"

********

It had taken almost two hours to finish the simple job of fixing the panel in the jeffries tubes with Nog, but O'Brien was glad the job was done though he got tired of being in the cramped space. His uniform was soaked with sweat, both his gold shirt he wore with his rank and the jacket with the gray shoulders.

O'Brien decided to call it a day and headed over to Quark's for a drink. He found an empty space at the bar table, not before passing by Morn, the local bar resident, being surrounded by four beautiful women. O'Brien sat down and looked at Morn from a distance. "How does he do that?" O'Brien gave a half smile at Morn being somewhat of a ladies man.

Quark approached O'Brien. "And how is DS9's chief of operations this evening?"

"Tired Quark," O'Brien said, "and hungry too."

Quark looked at O'Brien's clothes from head to toe. "By the look of things you seemed to have a tough day."

"It was a tough day since I spent two hours in the jeffries tubes trying to fix a panel," O'Brien explained. "It gets hot in there."

Though he had never been inside one of those things, Quark nodded, as a good host would do. "By the way, I was having a little problem with my replicator today and I wanted to know if….."

O'Brien glared at the Ferengi. "Not tonight Quark."

"Just thought I would ask," Quark tried to give it a shot. "So what can I get you?"

"How about an ale and some steak and potatoes," O'Brien ordered.

Quark nodded. "Coming right up chief."

**The Next Morning**

O'Brien had made his way to the wardroom for the daily briefing with the rest of the senior staff. He entered the room and saw Captain Sisko at the end of the table, where he always sits. O'Brien made his way towards the left side of Sisko where Major Kira had already sat and took up a seat by her.

"Morning Miles," Kira smiled at the curly haired Irish man.

"Nerys," O'Brien smiled at the Bajoran woman. Although she was first officer of the station, O'Brien started to address her by her name because she carried his child last year when there was an accident with O'Brien's wife Keiko.

O'Brien nodded at Sisko. "Captain."

Sisko was drinking a cup of raktajino and smiled at O'Brien. "Good morning chief. I take it you had fun in the jeffries tubes last night?" Sisko had to smile, knowing how O'Brien hated being stuck in those things.

"Oh yes sir," O'Brien wryly replied. "I just love getting down there and fixing things while I work up a sweat!"

Kira smiled at O'Brien, knowing he was joking.

"In fact, next time I'll let you two go down there while I stay at ops," O'Brien continued.

The captain simply shook his head knowing he would fair worse than O'Brien being down there.

The doors to the wardroom opened again and Odo, Bashir, Worf, and Dax, made their way to the table. Worf sat on Sisko's right side, along with Dax, followed by Odo, while Bashir sat right next to his friend, Miles. O'Brien and Bashir said good morning to each other and then turned their attention to the captain.

"Well now that everyone is here, we can begin," Sisko started. "It's been almost a month since we retook DS9 from the Cardassians and the Dominion. Although it's been one of better times for us, we're still in a war that is costing thousands of lives each day between us and our Klingon allies. Starfleet command wants us to take a shipment of weapons and medical supplies to Dranus-two, near Dominion controlled space where Starfleet has set up a defense against the Dominion from trying to take over the planet where they could use the resources of the planet to make more ketracel-white for the Jem'Hadar."

Jadiza spoke up. "When do we leave?"

"We'll leave in two hours, once all the weapons and medical supplies are on the Defiant," Sisko answered. He looked at Kira. "Major, you're in charge of the station until we get back."

Kira nodded in compliance with her orders.

"That's all people," Sisko said as he finished the meeting.

**Four Hours Later**

The Defiant was at high warp, zipping by stars. As it was getting to it's destination, it was passing by a nebula, mixed with an array blue and purple colors.

On the bridge, Dax was at the ops and helm station that was in front of Sisko's chair, as Sisko himself was sitting in the captain's chair. O'Brien was to the left of Sisko at the engineering station while Worf was at the other side at the weapons and security station. There were also three other crewmembers on the bridge too.

"We're ten minutes away from Dranus-two Benjamin," Jadzia said from her station. Though she was the chief science officer on DS9, she had duties as the ops and helm officer ever since Sisko brought the Defiant to the station.

"Very good commander," Sisko commented.

O'Brien glanced over to the rest of the senior bridge crew. "I'm just glad we haven't run into any company."

Suddenly a beeping noise came from Dax's console. "Don't be so sure about that chief." She started to skim at the readout of what her station was telling her. "Sir, we got two Jem'Hadar ships coming out of the nebula and on a direct course for us."

Sisko reacted. "Shields up, red alert."

Suddenly the red alert claxon began emanating around the ship.

"Mr. Worf, ready weapons," Sisko ordered.

"Aye sir," the Klingon first officer said.

Suddenly the Defiant was jolted with several phaser shots which rocked the bridge.

"Return fire!" Sisko ordered.

A few moments later Worf read his console. "Direct hit, minimal damage."

The Defiant was hit again, this time a nearby station next to Worf blew sparks.

"Shields down to sixty-six percent!" O'Brien shouted from his engineering station.

Sisko got up from his chair and walked over to O'Brien. "Chief, I need you to get me more shields or we're gone."

"Yes sir," O'Brien said as he worked his station.

Suddenly another hit rocked the Defiant, this time sending sparks at Dax's station. She fell backwards from her chair and laid on the ground. Worf, who had been married to her for almost a month, got up from his chair and checked to see if she was alive. She was but was unconscious. "Sir, I'm taking Jadzia to sickbay," Worf said as he grabbed her and walked off the bridge.

Sisko looked at O'Brien. "Chief, I need you to…"

O'Brien already knew what his captain wanted. He got up from his engineering station and moved over to the helm and ops station. "Already ahead of you captain." O'Brien sat down and started to work the station. Another direct hit on the Defiant sent the bridge crew to lose their bearings.

"Mr. O'Brien, attack pattern Kirk-Alpha-Five," Sisko said.

"Right," O'Brien complied. He worked the ops and helm console. The Defiant flew near one of the Jem'Hadar ships which gave O'Brien the right opportunity to hit the Jem'Hadar's ship on the side. O'Brien looked at the console. "Direct hit on their engineering side."

Sisko smiled. "Good work O'Brien."

O'Brien looked at Sisko. "I could use you at tactical." O'Brien gestured his head for Sisko to move over there.

"Oh yes sir," Sisko toyed with the chief. He sat down at the security station.

"Captain, I'm going to come around and go between the two ships," O'Brien said as he continued to work the console. "I need you to fire phasers and a series of torpedoes on both ships, knocking at main power, if my plan works."

"Right," Sisko said. "Weapons standing by."

"Here it goes," O'Brien managed to swing the Defiant around, the viewscreen showing the two Jem'Hadar ships coming at them.

The two ships managed to fire a few round of phasers on the Defiant, but the ship pressed on. As it got between the two ships O'Brien looked at Sisko. "Now sir!"

Sisko worked the tactical station and fired phasers and some torpedoes at the ships. "Direct hit! Their main power is now offline."

O'Brien sat back and smiled at Sisko. Both men breathed a sigh of relief before O'Brien got back to moving his fingers around the console. "Shields down to forty-seven percent. There is a hull breach on deck five. Doctor Bashir reports that Jadzia is going to be fine though there are seven additional injured crewmen. And the two Jem'Hadar ships are a drift in space."

Sisko got up from the station and moved back to his command chair. "Excellent job chief, we all owe you one."

"You all owe me for more than one from over the years, but who's counting," O'Brien replied.

Worf had now entered the bridge and went over to the tactical console.

"Mr. O'Brien," Sisko said, "put us back on course for the planet."

"Aye sir," O'Brien complied. He turned his attention to Sisko by swiveling his chair around. "Permission to go help out with repairs?"

Sisko nodded. "Permission granted." Sisko turned to a young human female in back wearing a red uniform. "Ensign, take the helm."

**Three Days Later**

Sisko and Kira were situated at the pool table at the center of ops. Dax had recovered from her injuries and was at her science station while O'Brien and Worf were at their respected stations.

Sisko and Kira were at mid conversation, although the rest of the senior staff was listening in to Kira's story.

"And then what?" Sisko looked at his Bajoran first officer, not liking a story to not be concluded.

"And then she married him," Kira replied.

Jadzia stopped what she was doing and looked at Kira. "You mean to tell me your cousin married a man who cheated on her twice, yet still didn't have sense enough to call off the engagement?"

"Like I said, my cousin lacks common sense," Kira responded.

"Glad I didn't have to go through that," Dax said as she glanced over to Worf, winking at him. Worf bristled a bit but tried to control it. His wife had a way of playing with his Klingon emotions.

"Well if Keiko found out I had been cheating on her, then you'd need Odo to come restrain her," O'Brien said. "I most likely would be dead."

Sisko and Kira both gave each other a look. "Now there's someone you don't want to mess with," Sisko said as he glanced his vision to Miles.

Suddenly a beeping noise came from O'Brien's console. "Captain, the Bajoran ship Hova has lost her navigation and is heading directly for us. Her shields are also down."

"The Hova is carrying five vedeks from Bajor to meet with you this afternoon," Kira looked at Ben, knowing to well how important the meeting was going to be.

"Captain, if the Hova hits us, they'll be destroyed," O'Brien looked at his commanding officer.

Sisko started to think. "Chief, can we use a tractor beam on the Hova?"

O'Brien shook his head. "No sir, our tractor beam is off line. We're still trying to upgrade it. It'll be online in a few hours."

"We don't have a few hours chief," Sisko's frustration was starting to show a little. "I need another option."

"I got one sir," O'Brien replied. "We use the tractor beam on the Defiant to stop the ship from hitting us and haul it back to the station safely."

Sisko pointed at the chief engineer. "Excellent idea Mr. O'Brien." Sisko started to move to the turbolift by the engineering section along with O'Brien and finally got into it. "Defiant," Sisko said.

**Defiant**

Sisko was right next to O'Brien who was sitting next to the engineering console. "We're coming on the Hova now," O'Brien said. He started to work his console. "Gotta make sure the tractor beam doesn't tear the Hova apart."

"Tear it apart?" Sisko looked at his chief engineer.

"Yes sir, the Hova is still drifting and with her shields being down, we could cut a hole in the ship which would kill everyone onboard," O'Brien reported. "Gotta make sure the tractor beam is in sync with the outer hull of the ships parameters." O'Brien worked his console. "Adjusting the power of the tractor beam to compensate with the Hova. Initiating the beam now."

A tractor beam came out of the Defiant and hit the Hova's side without cutting a hole into the ship.

"We've got them captain," O'Brien smiled as he read his console.

Sisko padded O'Brien's left shoulder for doing a good job.

***********

The Defiant had docked at the station and towed in the Bajoran ship, placing it in upper pylon two.

The crew were coming onto the station from the airlock. O'Brien and Sisko managed their way onto the station. O'Brien was about to go the opposite direction before Sisko turned around.

"Where you going chief?" Sisko pondered.

"To upper pylon two to begin repair work," O'Brien replied.

"But your work crew can handle the repair work," Sisko stated. "Don't you want a break?"

O'Brien shook his head. "Can't sir, not with an enlisted man like me. Gotta keep working hard so we make you officers look good." O'Brien gave a little smile and walked down the corridor.

Sisko looked on and watched O'Brien leave while he let O'Brien's words sink into him.

**One Day Later**

The doors to Sisko's office opened and O'Brien walked in, looking at the man. "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes I did," Sisko said as he was sitting in his chair behind his desk. "Please sit down Mr. O'Brien."

O'Brien complied and sat down, wondering what was going on. Sisko got up from his chair and started to pace back in forth in his office. "How long have you been in Starfleet chief?"

"About twenty-five years," O'Brien replied.

"And yet all this time, you've been an enlisted man," Sisko continued to walk back and forth.

"Yes sir."

"And you've spanned on several ships in your service, including the Rutledge and the Enterprise, the flagship of the Federation," Sisko continued.

"Yes sir."

"Have you ever thought about going back to the academy and becoming an officer?" Sisko had stopped and now looked at O'Brien.

O'Brien was a bit puzzled as to where this conversation was going. "Not really, I mean I would know more than any of the cadets, including most officers who are in the lieutenant ranks. I just don't see the point of going back to the academy and becoming an officer. I know too much sir, far more than the people I just pointed out."

Ben nodded in agreement. "I agree with you, which is why I have come to this conclusion."

"What conclusion is that sir?" Miles wondered.

Sisko walked over by O'Brien, looking at him. "You see Miles, I look at you and see your dedication to this station, to the people who live and work here, to me. I also see your dedication with all the previous posting you had up to this point," Sisko said. "As a matter of fact, when I was going through people who I wanted to work with me at DS9, you were recommended by Captain Picard for your outstanding service in Starfleet. I read your qualifications, your background as a soldier, commanding troops, working transporters, being the tactical officer and so forth, and decided to choose you. You had more experience in all the daily functions in Starfleet than most officers who are assigned to work in one department."

O'Brien listened, wondering why Sisko was telling him this information.

"Well there is only one thing to do now," Sisko said. "Please follow me outside chief."

"Yes sir."

As Sisko and O'Brien walked into ops from Sisko's office, O'Brien noticed all the ops crew lined up in two rows near the pool table, including Bashir, Odo, and Nog.

"Attention on deck!" Sisko ordered.

Sisko looked at O'Brien. "Miles Edward O'Brien, it has come to my conclusion, with the outmost of feelings that I can only do this to further your career."

O'Brien looked puzzled but played along.

Sisko went to O'Brien's collar and took off the senior chief petty officer rank. "I hearby grant you a full commission, with the rank of lieutenant commander." Sisko then placed two full pips and one hollow pip on O'Brien's collar. Sisko extended his hand for a hand shake and smiled at Miles. "After Worf here, you are in command of the station and also the Defiant. Congratulations, Commander O'Brien!"

Miles couldn't believe what had just happened. Him, an actual officer. He never thought anyone would do this for him.

Everyone started to shake Mile's hands, smiling and congratulating him.

"Congratulations Miles," Julian smiled at his best friend. "Or should I now call you sir!"

Miles shook his head and smiled.

"Well now I do have to call you sir," Nog smiled as he shook his boss's hands. "There's no excuses now!"

"Congratulations Miles," Kira hugged the chief engineer.

"Great job Miles," Odo said as he shook his hand. "You deserve it."

"Congratulations sir," Jadzia was playing around with Miles.

"Oh come on now Dax!" Miles smiled.

"I can just call you chief for old time sake, if you like" Jadzia wryly smiled.

O'Brien brushed off Jadzia and finally moved to Worf, his old shipmate from the Enterprise.

"It is an honor for me to witness this event," Worf said as he looked at O'Brien. "Congratulations Miles. It's been a long time coming, and it couldn't have happen to a finer officer or a more honorable man."

"Coming from you Worf, that means a lot," Miles said as he shook the Klingon's hand.

O'Brien turned and looked at everyone. "Thank you everyone, this means a lot to me."

"You deserve it Miles," Jadzia said.

"But there's something missing," O'Brien looked concern.

"What's that?" Sisko queried.

"There's not cake!" O'Brien replied. "We can't have a party without any cake!"

Everyone smiled. "Looks like you're buying sir," O'Brien looked at Sisko.

"Me?" Sisko wondered. "I was the one who just made you an officer."

"Yeah, but it's always customary for the commanding officer to get the good stuff for his crew!" O'Brien responded.

Sisko couldn't help but agree. Looks like he was buying the cake for the crew after all.


End file.
